Musings: Happy “Puppy Mom’s” Day!

Happy Mom’s Day to each of you whether you are a Mom or a Dad needing to be a Mom, or the Mom of someone like me with four-legs – you each play an important role in the lives of your dear children. For me it is Happy “Puppy Mom” Day – and I really have the best Mom ever!

Even though my life had a rough beginning, I think my life as a puppy has really been blessed. I now have a great “Forever” Mom (and a Dad), but before my new Mom, I also had a great Foster Mom, who saved my life. I will always be very grateful to my Foster Mom for all she did for me and for making sure I would find my way to my new Mom. Who could ask for two more wonderful women to be a part of my life.

Mom’s Day is an interesting and special holiday. Some think of it as just a “Hallmark” holiday. I’m not quite sure what this is, but my Mom tells me the start of this holiday was not influenced by Hallmark. Although, they did start to “commercialize” the holiday as early as 1920.  But today is very special, because it is meant to honor a little known woman in history.

The first Mother’s day was celebrated in 1908, but it didn’t become an official national holiday until 1914. Wow that is a long time ago! It came about when a woman named Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her own Mom, Ann Jarvis, at a place called St. Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. Anna had been working hard to have Mother’s Day be a recognized holiday since the day her Mom died in 1905 and it is pretty cool why! Ann Jarvis had been a peace activist who cared for wounded soldiers on both sides of the American Civil War, and she had created Mother’s Day Work Clubs to help address public health issues. Anna wanted to honor her mother by continuing the work she had started and by helping establish a day to honor all mothers, because Anna believed that a mother is “the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world”! Can you imagine someone like this? I can.

As a puppy, I am very lucky to have one of those Moms who loves me unconditionally, just as she does all of my siblings. She makes sure we are fed, we are loved everyday and we have treats – oh yes! TREATS! She lets me run in the house, squeak my toys, and sometimes “nibble” her hand – although, she tells me “no bite” just like she tells me “no bark”! I’d like to think I am special – well, I guess I am being the only girl pup in the house! I always sleep right next to my Mom, so I can be close to her; and while each morning Mom gives the boys love and each a kiss, she is extra special with me. Every morning Mom gently wakes me up by first rubbing my head and then my often exposed little belly. She gives me a kiss on the my cheek and often gives me a kiss on my soft little belly and oh this feels so good, and she always tells me how much she loves me. I know from the moment I awake until the second I go to sleep how much my Mom loves me.. And, this makes me a very happy puppy.

I didn’t always know this kind of love and as a young pup, only about four to five months, I was forced to become a Mom. I will never know what happened to my own babies and this makes me sad. But Mom told me she understands and that she is sure my babies are all safe, just like I am now safe. Mom always knows just the right thing to say to warm my little heart and to make me feel better.

Oh – and please forgive my absence the past few weeks. My Mom has been spending a lot of extra time on the computer and this has kept me from writing to you. But Mom promises me this will be changing very soon! Like today! She isn’t working from home, which means I can be on the computer all day! Maybe I should check out what she is saying about me on her Facebook page!!”

Mom has had lots of cats and pups in her life – but for the last sixteen years she has had a special place in her heart for us Shihtzu pups, our cat and now our “Healthy Hospice” brother (we lovingly call him that). Here we are, left to right in each row – Beemer and Porsche (now our Angel puppies in Heaven), Miss Bentley, Lincoln and Tesla, Me of course, and Me with Bugatti, and finally Bugatti or Buugi for short!! He looks a little different from us as being part mini-Schnauzer, but we love him all the same.

The note on the right is a note from my and Buugi’s Foster Mom, Jena, isn’t it perfect!

So to all the Moms who love their babies, just like my Mom (and Dad) loves me – Happy Mom’s Day – and Happy “Puppy Mom’s” Day to all!!